What the Hell Have I Done?!?

It started innocently enough. Follow a bunch of people on Twitter, interact with them, get to know a few of them in person. See them at bars or at a liquor store. Live vicariously through a few of them as the undertake new challenges. Thinking to myself, if they can do this, so can I.

I procrastinated. ALOT. Had several bouts of self doubt. Am I too old for this, too fat, too unmotivated. Until I clicked the link in a Tweet. "Who wants to go to Las Vegas in December? I do, I do! Join Team Challenge and come with!" I clicked on the link and it took me here. I looked at the page and was intrigued. I then clicked here to get more information.

Thought to myself that this looks pretty cool. I looked at a couple other blogs from people who had completed the last one in Napa Valley last month. Amy, in patricular, inspired me. She was 267 lbs and did it.

I seen that there was a meeting in Oak Creek. It timed out well that I was going to be going right past there anyway to pick up the camper. So I thought "What the heck" I'll check this out.

So I did. I showed up tonight with no intention of signing up. I just wanted to get more info. Checked in, introduced myself to several of the tweeps (Amy, Sarah, Tim and Anne) that I heard 'talking' about the last one. They were telling me about how much fun the last one was. What it felt like to cross the line. It hooked me.

So I did it.

I committed myself to walk/run the Rock 'n Roll half marathon on Dec. 5, 2010 in Las Vegas!

A half marathon is 13.1 miles. 13.1 freaking long-ass miles. That is 69,168 feet. Or an even scarier number 830,016 inches. Over 3/4 of a million inches. Holy shit!!!!


So my fellow bloggers, in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to ask that you give me your moral support, pick me up when I'm getting down, kick my ass when I don't want to train as well.

I will also need your financial support. I have to raise a shit load of money. It goes for a good cause, the Crohn's and Colitis foundation of America. I have some ideas so it should be interesting.

Stayed tuned for more updates.

Sweet Dreams

I normally don't remember my dreams but last night I had three of them that were very odd and very different.

One was a sex dream.  Let's just say it had nothing to do with Jack Black and leave it at that.

The second one was weird. Howie Mandel from America's Got Talent kept trying to steal my dogs. I had caught parts of the show on Sunday.  But it was more on for the background noise. When I woke up I actually looked for the dogs. Happy to see they were all there. Even Boomer.

The third dream was the most bizarre.  Was with the people going to Vegas in a few weeks. Gambino was driving.  We were in a yellow Hummer convertible. There were two people in the car that we didn't know.  No clue as to why they were there.  We are driving to the airport and there are all these weird UFOs all over. There are like thousands of these little things in the sky. One starts following us as we are going under the airport tunnel.  StB grabs his phone and starts taking pictures of it.  He gets a really good picture of it an realizes there is a price sticker on it from Merchandise Outlet.  It cost $5.98.  It was weird how I could see that clear as day.  All of a sudden one gets close enough and we grab it. We look at it for a few minutes and Gambino puts it in her purse. 

Next thing I know we are sitting in the airport.  Waiting for our flight.  We are sitting on the floor kinda like you see the teams in Amazing Race always doing.  All of a sudden one of the people who were in the Hummer with us whips a guitar out of his pocket.  It was small at first and then got bigger to a normal size.  We all start singing.  As I look around I realize that we all have instruments.  It was like we had formed some weird band.   I don't recall ever getting on a plane or going to Vegas.

So I'm sure the next question will be asking what I ate. I had a ham and cheese sub (left over from camping) and tuna roll sushi.  No ice cream or anything else strange. 

When I woke up I just remember feeling very confused by the dreams.

My New Office

My company is moving about 100 people from the building that we are currently in to a new building about 4 miles away near Brookfield Square.

Every week we get new emails details the plans. Last week we got the preliminary seating charts. I was happy with that. We are away from come of the noisy people kinda by ourselves. Work hubby and I can still continue on with our daily bitch-fests about people.

This week we got more pictures of the cube designs. I'm not liking these at all!

New Office Policies

My work recently implemented some new office policies. Not sure if I like them yet or not. What do you think??

Dress Code:

1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.

2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.

3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.

4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.


Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturdays & Sundays.

Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break: (Love this one)

* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.

* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.

* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.


Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.


The Management

The Good Aunt

On Saturday, I took my two youngest nieces for the afternoon. The older one, S, just turned 9 the previous week. The younger one, J, turned 6 last December. I owed them both the extra special birthday presents.

I picked them up and went to drop Riley off at the groomer. We then headed out to Mayfair mall. I went over the Hoan bridge which totally freaked J out. She was almost crying she was so scared that the bridge would collapse and she would fall into the lake. I didn't want to be the one to tell her that it probably would fall down before the city/county/state gets their act together and gets the bridge replaced.

As we passed Miller Park, S remembered that Randy and I had taken her and her older sister to a Brewer game a couple years back. She remembered that Prince Fielder hit an inside the park home run and that there was some glowing balloon thingy floating in the air after the game. Never did find out what that was.

Once we got to Mayfair Mall, I parked by Barnes and Noble as I promised S that she could pick up a couple of books for her birthday as well. We headed into the mall and J was amazed at all the stores. Build a Bear is upstairs so we headed towards the escalator. J totally freaked out with that. She had never been on one before and was afraid that she would get sucked into teh moving stairs. I had to pull her aside and let her watch it for a minute or so and then told her how it works. She jumped on the step and away we went. She wouldn't let go of my hand while we went up. When we got to the top she took a leap like she was crossing the Grand Canyon. She was all excited. We got to ride it a couple more times. My sister really needs to get these kids out into public places more often.

Build a Bear was fun. The girls had a good time picking out their animals and the outfits. They wanted to get more stuff but I told them that we could come back another time and get it.

We headed to the bookstore, so S, could get some new books. She loves to read and I will do everything I can to encourage that. She was so excited that she got to pick out four new chapter books. My guess is that she has already read them by now.

On the way home we picked up Riley from the groomer and dropped him off at home. We headed to Rocky Rococo's for lunch. I forgot that Randy's brother runs the place and it was nice that he bought us lunch. It was nice to spend some time talking with him. I don't get to see him very often.

It was time to get the girls back home. I wanted to get in a nap before heading out to the Waukesha County fair to see Night Ranger. Before I left my sister's the girls came up to me gave me big hugs and said that I was their favorite aunt.

I left happy.

Beautiful Minds: Stephen Wiltshire

If you have not seen this guy before, he is totally amazing.

Match Update - 7/15

So I got the following email from a guy.

"lets hang out"

That's it. Here is a recap of his profile.

Needless to say, I didn't respond.

History Lesson

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement...

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching, and making art. This was the beginning of the Liberal Movement.

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. They became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of the cat, invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting, to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provide.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass for obvious reasons.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare..

Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Miller or Bud (not recommended). They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, engineers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to piss them off.

And there you have it. Let your next action reveal your true self.....I'm going to have another beer.

Enjoy!!

Old Spice | Questions

Another video by the very hot Isaiah Mustafa. Forget the horse, this time he is on a motorcycle.

Obama at the Bat

Based on the poem Casey at the Bat by Ernest Thayer.

Once you read the poem, the video may make more sense.

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

"Phin"

Match Email #1

I got an email the other day from a guy on Match. Here it is in all its 'glory'. I did no editing to the style except for the font changes.


Hi Dear
I read your profile and really enjoyed it. You have a beautiful pictures..am Matt just join match dating service yesterday... Am new doing this online dating

scene.. I will like to give it a try and see where it will goes. I'm 45 years old am completing 46 tomorrow. A freelance researcher and love children..but am

currently out of the state doing some research in UK Norway

I work in Agricultural Soil Manuring and Productivities Organization as my profession and travel a bit for my business. Most of my trips are One or two week a

couple of times a month. I am considered a crops safety expert and do public research speaking engagements as well as events throughout the country. But

presently UK London on a research i will be in the state soon..Words to leave by. Distance does not matter to me in a relationship neither do age, be cause i

don't mind relocating for the right Woman.

I have an out-going personality, easy going, and have a great sense of humor. I meet a lot of people; my problem is there has to be that chemistry and it is

hard to find someone where that chemistry is there. I really need someone that I can hold an intelligent conversation with, who can answer at least one

question on Jeopardy by herself without any help.

I love to listen to NEW country music, I do not like rap. I enjoy going out to dinner, plays, movies, country line and couples dancing, concerts, weekend

getaways, church on Sunday and being on the water. God is an important part of my life and I hope he is part of yours. I also enjoy quiet evenings at home

snuggling with that special someone while watching TV or movie. I fit in any environment. I prefer jeans and a pair of shoes when I am working.

I am a spur of the moment kind of roman tic. A tender kiss on the cheek, a card, flowers, or weekend trip for no reason.

I am looking for my best friend, my soul, maybe a life term relationship. I have a great life and am ready to share it with someone again. I want to enjoy the

time I spend with that special someone when we are together and miss her when we are apart. I really enjoy the missing part, which means that I have

something (chemistry). I love the water also and go fishing offshore quite a bit.

OK your turn if you chose to continue. I figured I would give you quite a bit of information so you can decide if you want to continue corresponding.

Have a great day! I look forward to your response.

Respectfully,

Matt.

Needless to say, I deleted it. His profile had no picture in it so that was a big flag to begin with.

Taking Ownership

I read this article the other day about how a group, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), is suing McDonald's for unfair and deceptive marketing practices. Because they make Happy Meals.

Seriously??

Last time I checked most kids in the target Happy Meal age are maybe 3-10ish. I don't know too many kids who at that age can get to a McDonald's on their won and pay for a meal. They have to have their parents or another adult take them.

So, then, why is that adult not taking ownership of what they put in the kids mouth.

The two quotes that I found interesting were

"The nutrition group claims that using toys to entice children instills bad eating habits and puts kids at higher risk of risk of developing obesity, diabetes, or other diet-related diseases over the course of their lifetime. "

and then this one

"CSPI director Michael Jacobson acknowledged that parents bear much of the responsibility for children's eating habits"

Heloooo, McFly... Exactly.

'Nuff said.

First Date

So a week after joining Match, I get a wink and an email from a guy.

I look at his profile*. Not drop dead hunky but not wanting me to hurl in my corn flakes either.

I take a look at his profile. Hmmm, doesn't smoke, that's good. Doesn't drink.... shit! I think about that a bit. Can I go out with someone who doesn't drink? Well, I think to myself. May be worth finding out why. I see he has kids. Darn. Not really a deal breaker but while I love my nieces there is a reason I have no kids. It was a conscious decision that was made.



So I continue reading through his bio. Nothing stands out as being too crazy or weird.




So I wink back. A little while later I get an email from him. We continue to exchange emails during the day. He asks if I want to meet him. Sure I say.

He asks if I would mind coming to his house as he has a new puppy and doesn't want to leave him alone for very long. I ponder this for awhile and say sure. I have pepper spray. We make arrangements to talk on the phone after work.

We talk on the phone briefly and set up the particulars.

Meanwhile I text my friend, Julie, to let her know what is going on. She also got his name, phone number and address.

I get to his house with no difficulty. It is nice outside as it is nice outside. He asks what I would like to drink. I tell him a beer is fine.

This should have been my first clue. The beer was Michelob Ultra. Seriously?!? People actually drink that?? Not bad if you like watered down beer. I also thought his profile said that he did drink. hmm, interesting.

We make small talk for while. It was kinda rough at times. I seemed to have to carry the conversation for most of the time.

It starts to rain so we head inside. As I am walking in, he is behind me and tells me I smell nice. I thank him. We sit at the kitchen table, which was a bit odd, but hey, who am I to judge. I look around. I notice a few things. A couple of cartons of cigarettes on the top of the fridge. Thought he didn't smoke. I also see several wedding pictures on a stand. Really?? you have been divorced for 7 years. You still have the pictures?!? and you are still displaying them?!? WTF!!

He asked if he could smell me again. I said sure, what the heck. He leaned in and kissed me. Nothing to write home about that was for sure. I get up and go to the bathroom.

Guys, if you are going to have a woman over, clean the bathroom!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to sit on a dirty toilet and would really like to have a clean sink and soap to wash my hands with.

I come back into the kitchen. He is standing. He comes towards me and starts kissing me again. Ok, yeah. I know. I probably should not be kissing him. He had his hands on my waist. In one swift move, he lifts up my shirt and catches my bra and up over my boobs they go.

I stopped things right there.

I tell him that I'm not going to do that. He proceeds to call me sweetie. Yuck. Tells me that he knows I want this. I keep telling him no, I really don't. This goes on for a minute or so. He then calls me a cock tease. Me?? seriously?? He says that I should have expected that since I came over there looking all fucking hot and all. I had on a tshirt and shorts. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He then asks me if I will give him a blow job. I tell him no.

He then asks if he can eat me out. I tell him no once again.

I tell him that I think it is best I leave.

As I'm walking out the door, he tells me to have a good life as a lesbian.

I never look back.

I blocked him from contacting me on match.

I also wonder who he was writing about on his profile. Not a perfect gentleman and you certainly showed me no respect.

* I'm using screen shots of his pictures and profile so that they are not searchable from Google or other search engines.

Match Game 2010

Remember back when.....  Gene Rayburn, Brett Summers, Charles Nelson Reilly and one of my favorites,  Fannie Flagg (I really like her books as well).  Yeah, well this post is not about that. It is about my venture back into the dating world.

So last week I signed up for Match.com. I really had not heard much about it but I figured it was worth a try. 

Maybe my first inkling that this may not be the thing for me was when I got my first 5 daily matches.  Turns out that one of them was a co-worker. I blocked that person from seeing me ASAP!

Stay tuned for more adventures.  You will get the good, the bad and the downright freaking nuts.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all my dad readers. This includes you uncles as well. I know how much Randy meant to my nieces. You have more of an impact in their lives than you may realize.

I miss my dad alot today. I wish he was still here.

Messin' With Sasquatch

I'm pretty sure he could have won the "E" award at camp.

They Said What??

I'm reading the paper this evening and come across an article about the Bhopal, India gas disaster in 1984. It took the Indian court system 26 years to convict seven senior employees of Union Carbide.

I tried to find the quote by the Law Minister online with no luck.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily said that after the ruling: "It is most unfortunate that it has taken this amount of time to give the verdict. We need to address that"

You think?? 26 years is quite a long time. One of the defendants has died during that time and many are in their late 70's.

In the end they got two years in prison and have to pay fines of $2175. A small price to pay for a disaster that killed over 15,000 people and left a generation battling birth defects.

Things I Don't Get

Dear bank who held my truck loan:

I paid the loan off in March. It took you until June to send the title release because you didn't know where to mail it to. You never had a problem mailing me a bill each month.

Why did it take a phone call to "remind" you of my address? Also thanks for sending me a check for $0.17 because I overpaid. If you could have sent me an accurate statement I would have not overpaid you.

Sincerely,
HeyJo

Easy As Pie

I found a new recipe that is both tasty and easy to make. No way I can mess this one up. Even better it is low in calories. The whole pie, yes the whole thing, is only 9.5 points (if you are a weight watchers person you know what I'm talking about). How can you go wrong with that??

Crust-less Strawberry Pie

4 cups sliced strawberries
1 small box or fat free, sugar free vanilla Jell-o cook and serve pudding - not instant
1 small box of sugar free strawberry Jell-o

Spray 8" pie pan with Pam
Slice strawberries into an 8" pie pan
Cook pudding using 2 cups water instead of milk following directions on box
Add box of Jell-o to the pudding. Mix well.
Pour over strawberries.

Chill for 4 hours

Top with 2 cups of fat free Cool Whip.

Insure This

Beginning tomorrow, June 1st, the state of Wisconsin will require that you have liability insurance on your autos.

I think it is about time that Wisconsin got with the program. Others think that it is wrong that the state mandate you have insurance.

Technically, the state doesn't require insurance but they do require that you show fiscal responsibility. In order to comply with Wisconsin financial responsibility laws, all drivers must show that they have the ability to pay for damages if he or she is found to be at fault in an accident. In lieu of insurance, driver’s can place a cash deposit of $60,000 with the Wisconsin DOT.

I know a person who I will call Z. Z thinks that it is wrong to have the state require that they carry auto insurance. Z says that they can't afford the monthly premiums. So if Z gets into a minor fender bender withe me, Z won't fix their car because it is a piece of shit and what is another dent or two. I, on the other hand, will call my insurance agent, file a claim and get my car fixed. My insurance will go after Z to recoup their loses but because Z has no money, it won't go very far. Maybe a judgment will be filed. But getting the money back is almost a lost cause. Now when my premium comes due the following year, I will see an increase in my rates to cover the losses it incurred in my fender bender with Z.

Scenario 2 is that Z gets into a major accident where both Z and I have serious medical issues. Once again, since Z has no insurance, either auto or medical, my insurance will pay for my auto and medical bills. Once again, my premiums will go up as a result. Z, since they have no insurance, will get public aid insurance (I forget what it is called) any left over money that needs to be paid will be ignored.

One good thing with this law is that if you purchase insurance and let it lapse, the insurance company will notify the state. You will have a certain amount of time to provide proof of insurance. If you don't the state will revoke or suspend your license or registration.

I hope that the insurance laws work as intended. Only time will tell.

Dear Men

Now that the weather is turning warmer here is a helpful fashion tip for all men.  Young and old.

Do not, I repeat,  do not under any circumstance wear a short sleeved white dress shirt without an under garment of some sort.

I have seen two men in the office today who have on shirts that were so thin you could see nipple AND chest hair thru them.

Spend a few bucks and buy a t shirt to wear or better yet buy some new shirts that haven't been washed a million times and are paper thin.

Smile. You're On Candid Camera.

I went to the dentist yesterday. My insurance covers to visits a year and I take advantage of that.  

I really like my dentist and my hygienist.  Hubby used to coach football with dentist so he is more like a friend.  When my dad was first diagnosed with cancer and needed to have some dental work done he went to my dentist.

So, at this latest trip I knew I needed to have a set of xrays taken.  My hygienist told me that they no longer do the ones where they stick the little pieces of film in your mouth.  What??  What do they do then?  She said they now do it all at once.

You stand in front of this machine that reminds me of when you get your eyes tested.  You rest your chin on this thing and there is a piece that you bite down on.   There is another piece that then rotates around your head. It gets a picture of the entire bottom half of your skull. They can see your jaw and up into your sinus cavity.  Dentist said that this allows them to potentially see things that may be going on. He said that if my dad had been going to a dentist regularly they may have caught his cancer in the very early stages.  They can also see if there are issues with your sinuses.  

Years ago, I had read an article that said your dentist and eye doctor can tell more about your general overall health than your GP can. The eyes and mouth/gums can be the first places that health issue an show themselves.  

Geography Lesson - Part 2

I scored 90%. I missed two locations.

I missed 15 - Times Square (I said Sears Tower)

and 16 - Wrigley Field (I Said Fenway Park)

Foot Fetish

First, let's see what kind of crazy people will find this based on the title. I love going to the Google stats. 

OK.  Another pet peeve about women and warm weather.

Ladies, please go get pedicures if you are going to wear open toe shoes.

I do not want to see your Frito toes with the nasty yellow toe nails.  I do not want to see your heels that look like they could be used to sand wood.

Now you don't have to go to a nail salon every couple of weeks but you can go to Walgreens (hell, I'm sure the dollar store may sell it) and get a bottle of polish an a Ped-Egg for less than 10 bucks.  A bottle of lotion wouldn't hurt either. 

Guys, a little attention to your feet would be appreciated as well. Nails trimmed nicely and a bit of lotion on the heels goes a long way.

Check out "xkcd" strip - Daily Strip Android App

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/incision.png

Why, Oh, Why...

...Do women insist on wearing white or other light colored pants that are a bit too tight and then wear dark colored underwear?  No one wants to see your flowered granny panties. 

This is why they make white underwear.

Geography Lesson

These pics were taken from an airplane and you have to guess where the location is.

Click here to go to the quiz

There are 16 photos and you probably won't get a perfect score and will also miss at least one you'll say you should have gotten.

Can you guess which one(s) I missed? Or did I get them all correct?

I will post my score in a few days.

Intelligence Test

I think this is funny.... and true...

The Front Fell Off??

On August 19th 2007, an oil tanker off the coast of Australia split in two, dumping 20,000 tons of crude oil.

Senator Collins, a member of the Australian Parliament, appeared on a TV news program to reassure the Australian public.

This actual interview is so funny, you'd swear it was a Saturday Night Live or Monty Python skit. If you are a fan on Monty Python then this will be HILARIOUS and if not, it is still pretty funny.

The New Health Care

Thought this was funny... Let's see how true this ends up being.

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Sanders, please."

"Speaking."

"Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Vincent Laboratory. When your husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good."

"What do you mean?" Mrs.. Sanders asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which."

"That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?" questioned Mrs. Sanders.

"Normally we can, but the new health care system will only pay for these expensive tests just one time."

'Well, what am I supposed to do now? "

"The folks at Obama health care recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him..."

The Boys of Summer

Welcome home, boys. We missed you.

Baseball is back!

It means that warm weather and fun summer times are right around the corner. 

I think baseball may be my favorite sport. (Shhh, don't tell Randy) .  As a kid, I played little league.  I was one of two girls.  Michele Pollack was the other.  As is normal at that age, you play various positions. I played outfielder, short stop and for a brief time, pitcher.

I remember having to sell candy bars as a fund raiser to go to the Brewers game. I sold enough for me and my dad to go. I don't remember much other than it being really hot on the school bus.

When Randy and I first were together, we would go to many an afternoon game. It was nice when you could decide to go at 11am, drive to the stadium an get a really good seat. Now you have to still contend with 30,000 other people.  Randy taught me how to mark score. I still will do that sometimes

Going on PJ's group outings were always interesting.  I remember one when Randy was a bit tipsy and wanted to leave.  I wasn't ready to go, so he left.  Took the city bus back to his parents. 

Now it is a fun time to head to the bar on a Friday night to watch the game with friends.  Even more fun when they are playing well and the game is exciting. 

Nothing tops going to Miller Park for a game. Sitting with friends or family,  drinking an ice cold beer, the warm sunshine.  Tailgating.  Hanging out with the Partridge Family bus in the parking lot. 'Borrowing' their beer.

Here's to a fun filled summer with the Brew Crew.

Drive Me Crazy

Lately,  it seems like people have forgotten how to drive.

Not so much the big things but the little things that make a world of difference. 

1.  TURN SIGNAL - Using a turn signal to let others know your intentions. I don't care so much in a parking lot but I do care when I'm doing 65 on the left lane and you, doing 50, decide you need to move over because your exit is coming up in 3 miles. 

2.  STAY IN YOUR LANE - Simple enough to understand.  I drive in my lane, you drive in yours. No, you can't drive down the middle of both. Maybe if you got off your phone and paid attention to the road this wouldn't be an issue.

3.  SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT - This should be fairly obvious.  The DOT is nice enough to post signs telling you this.  Kinda goes back to #2.   Get off the phone and pay attention to your driving. 

4.  CLEAR YOUR WINDOWS - Now that winter is over (hopefully) this isn't such a big deal. If you are waiting for the wind to blow the snow off your windows or the defroster to melt it, get off your lazy butt and buy a scraper/brush. Clearing your headlights, brake lights and turn signals is also nice.  I'm not a mind reader and can't tell when you want to turn or stop. 

5. SPEED CONTROL - I have saved my biggest pet peeve for last. Maintain a consistent speed. Don't go from 70 to 48 in the course of a 1/4 mile. Obviously, keep up with the flow of traffic.  But if there is a pile of cars behind you either speed up or move the fuck over. Once again the biggest offenders are talking on their phones. 

I guess the theme of this is to pay attention and shut up and drive. 

... and miles to go....

In trying to be more accountable to my fitness (or lack of) goals, I signed up for dailymile.com. It is a nice place to track your work outs.

It helps me see what I have done in the past and set new goals as I attain previously set ones.

I am tracking my elliptical use, walking and cycling. As far as I can tell, you can't track multiple activities in one post. I have not really had the time to spend digging into the site and find out all the little nuances.

I would like to get a treadmill. I'm on the fence on it. Part of me says I should get my butt outside and walk/run. The other part of me doesn't want anyone to see my fat butt running until it is not so fat. sigh....

At this point, any motivation that I can get helps. I, like many others, start the day with the best intentions but find that some days, I just don't feel like doing anything after I get home from work but walking the dogs, making dinner and vegging out for a few hours before bed.

Stella Awards

It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico , where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That' s right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy. Here are the Stellas for the past year:

- SEVENTH PLACE

Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

- SIXTH PLACE

Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

FIFTH PLACE *

Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.

- FOURTH PLACE

Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

- THIRD PLACE

Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

- SECOND PLACE

Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000.....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.

- FIRST PLACE

This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs... Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?

$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

Are we, as a society, getting more stupid....

or are more members of Congress serving on juries these days?

Winter Morning Fog

This is from Saturday morning.  I thought it was pretty.

Givin' the Dog a Bone

I like dogs. I have three of them. For the most part, they are pretty good dogs. Boomer has his issues but when we are home alone, he is a sweet, snuggly pup. He just doesn't like other people or dogs very much.

I know what Boomer is like and I try to avoid putting him in situations that stress him out. I don't let kids pet him. I keep him away from other dogs in the park. I try to be a responsible dog mom.

What I don't like it people who don't show that same responsiblity.

I try to walk them at least once a day. Weather depending, we go to the park or around the block.

Last week, I walk the dog like normal. It is cold out so we walk to one end of the block and back to the other and then home. It's not far but that's about all little toes can take.

We are heading back home when the people across the street let their dog out. Dog's name is Holly. I know this cuz I hear them yell it ALOT!!!!! Well, these people just open the door and let the dog out. No one comes out to watch it or even pay attention to it. Holly sees us and starts barking. Next thing I know she is running across the street towards us. Barking the whole time. I tell her to go home. She doesn't listen and keeps coming towards us. One thing I always carry in my pocket when dog walking is pepper spray. You never know when you may need it. She is now two feet from us. Boomer and Riley are barking up a storm. I'm yelling at the dog to go home. So I pull out the spray and use it. I only gave her a little squirt near her mouth. She did kinda yelp a bit but it was enough to make her retreat and head home.

I went back in the house. I should have gone over there but the dog is still outside barking... and barking. That dog had to have been barking for at least 15 minutes. I'm not sure why no one bothered to check on the dog.

If there is one thing I hate is barking dogs. They can bark when happy or excited but I try to quiet them down quickly. Especially if I'm outside.

On Saturday the dog did the same thing. I didn't spray but I gave her a good kick.

The dog is outside at 5:05 am almost every morning. I know this because she is barking. Yes, I can hear it from inside the house. Why bother with an alarm clock when I have a neighbors dog?

I know I should go over there and tell them that if they are just going to let the dog outside without supervision, they may want to expect a visit from MADACC or the police. I have no issue taking this to the authorities.

Am I wrong to expect people to be responsible pet owners??

~Peace out~

Up in Smoke

One of my co-workers, Hank, is in MN this week for some training.

Hank is a smoker. When he is in the office, Hank goes outside for a smoke break about once an hour. It takes him about 15 minutes each time. I know this because he walks by my desk each time he goes out.

Hank is staying in a hotel with his boss during the training. They have separate rooms. The hotel they are at is a non smoking hotel. We found out today that Hank has been smoking in his room. The hotel found this out as well.

The hotel fined Hank $250 for each night he is staying. He is there for five nights. That's $1250. One thousand two hundred fifty dollars.

That is alot of money. No matter who you are that will make a dent in your monthly budget. Hell, that is more than most people's mortgage payment.

To make matter even worse, Hank does not have a credit card. How you can be 60 years old and not have one is beyond me. I'm surprised he didn't have a corporate card. Normally, if you do any sort of traveling for work, they make you get one. So the fine for smoking in the room will be put on his boss's credit card.

When you get penalties like this, the bank will not pay for them. They are your responsibility. I'm not sure how he will pay back his boss. But I know if hubby had come home from a business trip and told me that he did something like this and now had to pay back $1250 I would be furious.

What would you do if that was your significant other?

~Peace Out~

Karma is a Female Dog

Earlier this week, my cousin passed away. She was 67. In Sept. she had a stroke. After that things went down hill quickly. She had issues with blot clots and some other stuff. A week before Thanksgiving she was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. They did surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain but it was terminal.

Growing up, our family did alot with theirs. My cousin, Daryl and I played SHAW hockey together. Ok, so I only lasted one season but it was still fun. Daryl on the other hand won a scholarship to Stout by playing hockey. I remember sitting at Wilson Park, with our hockey sticks, jamming to Kiss, Rock n Roll All Night.

On Christmas Day we had a round robin. Everyone like coming back to our house. By then it would be late. The parents were more interested in partying. Us kids took the snowmobiles out. We would go all over. It seemed that at least once or twice a year we would run out of gas or tip them and couldn't get them righted. Someone would have to hoof it back to the house and get a dad.

I'm sad but I somehow feel that this was a bit of karma action going on.

When my dad was sick, she and her husband were frequent visitors to the hospital. I appreciated that. I know it meant alot to my dad. But with all the stuff going on between my parents my cousin took sides. Not that it was wrong but she was not nice about it.

When my dad finally died, she totally ignored my mom at the funeral. She would not say a word to her. Walked right by her and came up to me. At the cemetery, after we buried my dad, she asked me if I thought that I should go back and lock up the house so my mom and sister wouldn't steal anything. That made me furious. She took a day that was already difficult and made it even worse.

I feel like somehow this is her payback for being mean. It's not that I would wish what she has gone through on anyone but sometimes I think that the world gives you what you deserve.

Is it mean of me to think that?

Winter Morning Fog

Thought this was pretty Pang Saturday morning.

Whole Lot of Shakin'

The earthquake tragedy last week in Haiti is a very unfortunate incident. That could have happened anywhere. Many people died and were injured. I heard today that because of lack of medical attention and facilities that doctors in one hospital are amputating arms and legs from more than 100 people a day.

What I find very interesting is how so many people, including celebrities have 'found' a cause to support. There is even a telethon later this week. The money is definately needed to help rebuild the country and get the people back on their feet. Obama has pledged millions upon millions of dollars that the country really doesn't have. Americans have always felt morally responsible for other people. We are a nation of givers.

But.... I think that the money could be well spent in our own country. Imagine what that money could do if it were put back into your community. If it were put into a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, a school. There are many domestic issues that need people's time and money. I feel that our government is acting very irresponsible. Spending money that we really don't have.

Ok, I'm hoping off my soapbox and I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

This is only a test

Playing to see how this app works with blogger.

Does the formatting look OK?

Also added a picture of Rufus

Perks

It's that time of year at work. The self evaluation. I hate doing them as most people I'm sure do.

I am somewhat anal so I keep a list of things that I have accomplished throughout the year so that at the end of the year I don't forget something. I print (and send to my boss, if he wasn't copied on it) the emails when I get praised for something good and attach them to my review.

So in January when my boss sits down with me and goes over my review, I know that he will only be able to offer me so much in bonus and wage increases. What he can do though is gives us perks. Some things are at his discretion.

Here is the list of things I will ask for:

• Install a tanning bed in the break room. I'm going to Mexico in 49 days. I need to get a base tan or I'll be a lobster the entire week.
• Get rid of the soda in the vending machine. Replace it with beer. I'm asking for Miller Lite and Spotted Cow year round and have at least two seasonal beers that rotate every season.
• Let me replace my desk with a futon so I can work laying down. It is way more comfy than sitting upright all day.
• Hold our next team meeting in Hawaii. I'm flexible and will accept any warm weather location.

Now if you got this list would you think twice about maybe it would be easier to just give me an extra week of vacation??

I'll let you know how that works out for me in January.

~Peace out~

Christmas Lights In Wisconsin

Only in Wisconsin would you expect to see this. I have to admit, it is funny.

.

Drunken Antics

Ok, no matter how drunk I may get, I WILL NOT let anyone talk me into this.

Thankful

This past year has been a wild ride for me. Some ups but alot of downs. Even though the downs out numbered the ups this year, I have alot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my health. I'm in relatively good health. I try not to take my health for granted and do the things I'm supposed to. Exercise, eat sorta healthy, don't smoke. All the things the doctors tell you to do. I know that by doing these things my body will be stronger and hopefully last a long time.

I'm thankful for a good job. This job, while some days is putting up with people's BS, pays the bills, allows me to have a nice home I can call my own, a decent vehicle to drive and the random vacation and fun toys. I know many people who are either out of a job or in a job that they may not like but need it to pay the bills.

I'm thankful for my dogs. While they can be a handful and at times a bit out of control (ok, really that is only Boomer). They are the best listeners. They are also good foot warmers on a cold night.

I'm thankful for my family. Most of them anyways. They have offered me their love and support across the miles. For this I am grateful. I miss the ones who left this world this year alot. I hope they are in a better place.

I'm thankful for my friends. Without them, this past year would have been unbearable. They have been there through the good, the bad and the ugly this past year. They gave me the strength to move forward with my life when I wasn't sure I could. The fun times of camping this year. Giggling like school girls trying to stay up all night. Waiting for the bats to come home. A big hug when I needed it the most. I treasure each of you.

While life may hand you lemons, be thankful for those lemons. You can always make lemonade.

Take the time out today to remember what you are thankful for. I know I will.

~ Peace Out ~

I Hope So

I know Breast Cancer Awareness month is over but it is always a good time to think of the girls.

I thought that this picture said it perfectly.

Is It Just Me??

I just don't get certain people.... Rachel Ray (her voice is soooo irritating), Nickelback (crappy over-played music that sounds like Creed (who I hate even more)) and Oprah.

There has been a big hub-bub-baloo about her ending her show next year. Why are people so freaked out about it?? Other than the books she suggests for her book club, I could care less. I have never gotten into watching her show. I could not even tell you what time or station it is on.

She makes people famous. Like Dr. Phil. Who up until a few years ago I had no clue who he was. Now the only reason I know who he is, is that I have a cousin who looks like him, but skinnier.

She has a school someplace in Africa that had some problems last year. I don't recall what the issue was but I remember seeing it on the news.

She is still dating that guy, Stegman (I think that is his name) or is it her best friend she is 'dating'.

Who knows?? Better yet, who cares??

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

My friend Monte was recently in Key West and sent me a few pictures.

I think I found a Christmas gift for a friend or two. This could be a big hit at camping.

Only in Canada

Only in Canada would you expect to see a sign like this.

Happy Camper

With winter fast approaching, I needed to think happy thoughts and escape from the winter doldrums. So what do I do??

I book the first camping trip for next season. Ok, technically it is not the first trip we will be taking but it is the first booked. Now I only have to wait a little over 10 months to go on this trip.

We are heading out to Yellowstone Lake State Park in southwestern WI. We will be there for the week after Labor Day. We were there this year during that time and it was great. We had the place to ourselves. Next year I hope to get in some fishing as I never got that far last trip.

Here are a few pictures of the lake. It was really peaceful out there.

Here is StB with his fish. He did release it back. Maybe next year we can catch enough to actually eat as a meal.

As the fall turns into winter, I will look back at these pictures fondly and count the days until our next trip.

This is a test from my BlackBerry

Let's see what this looks like.

Will it keep the formatting?

#
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pumpkin Store

To get you in the halloween mood.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

Normally I do not remember my dreams. They come and go throughout the night.

Last night, I had a very odd one that when I woke up the actually wanted to call the person and tell them.

It started out simply enough. Hanging out at the bar with Annette, Ben, Anita, Barney, and StB. Drinking beer like any Friday night.

StB was telling us about the new car he wanted to get. Another Mustang. We all thought that was cool. Annette then asked him if he would be willing to get the one that shows he supports breast cancer. StB, being the lover of boobs that he is, told her that he would. In honor of Annette's boobs. We were all happy with his choice and told him so.

Annette told StB that she would even be nice enough to go to the dealer and place the order for it as the purchase was limited to breast cancer survivors. StB agreed.

A few weeks later, we are at the bar again when StB's new car is delivered. I guess in my dreams they deliver vehicles to bars at night.

StB goes outside and sees his new Mustang. Ten seconds later he comes storming back in. Not happy at all. We ask him what is wrong. He tells us to go outside and see for ourselves. We all walk outside.

Us girls, see the car and are all like, "Wow!! Cool!! How sweet is that car"

StB asks if we notice anything about the car. Anita said that she liked like Warriors in Pink tribute that is on the car. Annette and I agreed. It was very sharp.

StB then asks if we think there may be a bit too much pink. Us girls all say no. StB's voice gets all high and squeaky and asks if we think it is a bit much for a young (ok, almost middle-aged), single guy who has a reputation to uphold.

We all start laughing at him, even the guys. Ben told him that it showed his sensitive side. StB called bullshit.

When I woke up I wanted to tell StB that he should not do two things. 1. Never let Annette pick out his cars. 2. Get over it! It's for the boobs.

I had to Google the car this morning to see if I could find it. Nothing came to an exact match but this was close. You can see more pictures here

I don't know, I kinda like it. What do you think?? It could be all pink.

Is It Spring Yet?

I'm not ready for the next 6 months. Today is a preview. It is cool, cloudy and blustery outside. I'm very much a summer gal. Give me the warm sun, gentle breeze, a cocktail and a ball game and I'm a happy camper. Screw the cold and snow.

Yesterday, we did the Susan G Komen walk for breast cancer in honor of Gambino. She is coming up on three years. This fact makes us all happy. You can still donate to a great cause from this link. I have a few pictures but need the time to get them off my camera and phone. I'll try to post later in the week. We had a great time during the walk. A fun way to spend a sunny Sunday morning. The Packer game afterwards at P & K's home was fun as well. Good times with good friends.

I have now developed a cold. I knew the sick guy at work would be sharing his germs with the rest of us. I'm planning on working from home until I feel better. No need getting anyone else sick. I'm very lucky to have that option.

Riley started his allergy shots today. Just like a person, dogs get allergies as well. He is allergic to dust mites and of all things, animal fur. Mainly, cats as I found out from the vet today. So he will be getting shots every 4 days for a few weeks and then start spacing them out a bit. Good news is that I can give him the shots after a few times. It doesn't looks too hard. The biggest thing is that he needs to be watched for about an hour afterwards to make sure he does develop a reaction to the shots. He may end up coming camping with me this weekend. He will like the time away from Boomer I'm sure.

That's about all I know for now.

~ Peace Out ~

The Fine Print

I don't get much mail. Other than utilities, I get most of my bills electronically.

Today I get a bill from Kohl's I have not used the card in quite some time but do so to keep it active. When I do use it I usually pay it off when I get the bill. I am probably one of the few people that will read the inserts with the fine print.

You know what I mean. It is the insert that companies stick in your statement that tell you of changes to your account.

Today I found out that:

1. The late fee is now $29.
2. They have an interest free option each month. You can make three equal; payments and pay your account off. When you do this you avoid any interest charges. May have to remember that if I need to make a big purchase there.
3. The grace period is now 25 day. This is down from 31.
4. The card has a variable rate. It is now prime plus 18.65%. WH-WHA-WHA-WHAT?? Holy crap. That mean that the current interest rate on this card is 21.9% That be some very pricey clothes if you carry a large balance.
5. If you miss a payment, your interest rate now goes up to 24.65% plus prime. That is just freaking crazy. Now the prime rate in at 3.25%. It was not all that long ago that it was over 8%.

All I know if that If I have to charge something pricey at Kohl's I will be using my bank card which carries a nice low interest rate of 7.99%. It pays to read the fine print.

Swinging the Bat

As the baseball season begins to wind down (yeah, it makes me sad too), here is something to watch.

When I Go Walking

It is usually before midnight, but sometimes after...

You tend not to notice the things you pass when in a car. Walking gives you time to explore your surroundings and take notice of the little things.

I will walk almost everyday with the dogs. It is good for all of us. Depending on the weather, time of day and what is going on I will walk the dogs either the short route about a mile and takes 20 minutes or the long route about 1.75 miles and takes 45 minutes. The dogs like to explore as well so it takes longer to walk around the park.

Things I have notices this past week while walking are:

• Lots of people are having their windows replaced or at least sticking the signs in their yard.
• There are 2 trees in Greene park that are really pretty right now. The leaves are a vibrant red and orange. The rain today will probably make the leaves go away.
• The house with the trashy yard now has a tarp over most of the front yard. I wonder if this is to avoid cutting the grass or avoid a ticket from the city. Still looks like crap.
• One house put some new bushes along the driveway. They left the one that is dead and took out the other two that were living. Not sure why.
• One house finally took down their Christmas decorations from last year.
• Another house put some Christmas lights up. And did a lousy job at it.
• One house had new siding put on. It really looks nice. I think they got a new front door as well. May have to stop and ask about where they got it.
• One house really need to pick up the dog poo in the front yard. You can smell it 2 houses away. Even worse when it is warm out.
• The city has a speed warning thingy up that tells you how fast you are going. Most people are going 35-40. Speed limit is 25.

What do you notice about your neighborhood??

Kind Words

I'm stealing this from Kris' blog. Thought it was a very nice passage. I will ty to think of this as I remember the family and friends who have passed on.


Pippin: "I didn't think it would end this way."
Gandalf: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it."
Pippin: "What? Gandalf?... See what?"
Gandalf: "White shores... and beyond, a fair green country under a swift sunrise."
Pippin: "Well, that isn't so bad."
Gandalf: "No... No it isn't."
-The Return of the King-

Now She Should Rot in Jail

Note: This story contains a link to a very graphic story. When I first read this I was appalled at the gruesomeness of it. Be warned

In Ohio, a young woman who works in a Petland store took two rabbit and drowned them. To make it worse a co-worker recorded it and then she posted it on her Facebook page. She was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. I only wish they were felony counts.

You can read the story and see the video here.

I can't imagine why someone would hurt a defenseless animal. I have had several rabbits in the past. They are great pets and if treated well will make wonderful companions. My first bunny, George, loved to play fetch with an empty paper towel tube.

Keep your Hands to Yourself

Not sure how nuts this guys is but you really have to be desparate to feel up Minnie Mouse at DisneyWorld.

You can read all about it here.

Must be a furry fetish.

Back in the Saddle

I'm glad the past few weeks are over. The combination of my dad being sick and eventually dying, my dad's sister, his niece and my sister and top it off with work have left me emotionally drained.

My dad's funeral went as well as could be expected. Basically my dad's sisters and other on his side of the family ignored my mom and sister and then dumped their crap on me. I almost decked a cousin for saying something at the cemetery that left me fuming. I don't think I have ever been that angry with someone before. EVER!! At this point it is basically good riddance to them!

I'm looking forward to getting away a week from now. Heading out camping for a week. Should be fun. I am stocking up on books now. Ok, not really stocking up but I organized my basement a bit this past weekend and found that I have about 100 books that I have purchased and have yet to read. Must get my butt in gear. Or stop going to the bookstore. What is amusing is that I have not purchased a book since March. The library is keeping my reading list stocked.

With the cooler weather and all the rain my grass needed attending to. I had just cut it last Sunday and it really should have been cut on Friday. I was too lazy to hunt down the big garbage bags so I didn't bag the clippings like I normally do. Maybe I'll get ambitious and rake them up this week... or not. The flipping weedwacker, that I bought like 2 months ago, broke. Somehow the head part of it came off. I'm really lucky I didn't get hurt as it went flying like 15 feet when it flew off. I need to see if I can get someone to take a look at it and figure out how to fix it (hint, hint Ben or Barney)

I got the truck cleaned up for the camping trip as well. Vacuumed and shampooed the floor mats and carpet. I really should get a new floor mat for the driver side. It didn't want to come clean and there is a spot that is wearing thin. But it is all nice and armor all'd and smells good. I'll go get it washed this next week.

I have been playing a bit more poker online the past week or so. Trying to get back into a rhythm for when we go to the casino in Iowa. I have not played live poker for quite awhile now. Not that online is the same but it still is better than nothing. I did fairly well. Saturday I cashed in 5/6 games for a net profit of almost 50 bucks. Today not as well as I took a first in one game but failed to cash in the other two.

Well, it is time to hit the road. I have been starting work at 6 am this past week. 4:30 comes around mighty early. Good thing is that my 4:00pm meeting that was every day has now been scaled back to Tuesdays and Thursdays so I can get out of work at 3 or so.

~peace out~

Personal Responsibility

Got back from Boomer's 3rd obedience class. Sometimes he is really good and other times, terrible. He started out well and the dogs that are in an agility class came into the building and he went ballistic. After he calmed down, he was somewhat ok the rest of the class. I'm not sure who is more tired, him or me.

With my dad in the hospital and probably not ever coming home I told my sister once again that she would have to start paying for things at the house. She was pissed about that. I asked her why should dad pay for cable, phone, etc. that he is not using. She got all huffy with me again and said that she has to pay for food and toilet paper and such. WH.. WHA.. WHAT??? Ummm, yeah, you need to also pay for the food you eat and the paper you use to wipe your ass. When My dad was living there, he wasn't eating much solid food anyway so it wasn't like he was costing her $200/week in food.

She brought up the fact that when my mom moved out, she left the dog. There are also 11 kittens in the barn (hint, if anyone wants a kitten, they are cute. I can post/send pictures) Why should she have to pay for feeding those? I told her to get rid of them then if she didn't want to pay for their food and upkeep. That made her once again angry that I would suggest that she gets rid of their pets. Her rational... the kids like them. My rational... then pay for their existence. If you can't afford them, get rid of them. I know it may be a hard decision but, hmmm... cats or food for the kids. Your choice, sis!

I guess I just don' get why some people think that they deserve something that they did not earn or work for. Why should she live there and not pay utilities and such. I have to pay for them where I live. I'm pretty sure most of you have to pay for utilities and your mortgage and such. I'll also bet that most of you also have jobs to pay for these things. She says she can't work because she has the kids to take care of. Once again, WH.. WHA.. WHAT??? Give me a freakin' break. I know there are millions of single moms who work and have kids to take care of. She is not unique.

We talked about this topic a bit this past weekend at camping. I have worked since I was 16. I payed for my own cars, insurance and once I moved out, my own rent. I had to pay for my own schooling as well. I only went to college for a year and a half. I still to this day regret not staying in school and getting a degree but sometimes there are other priorities in life.

Bottom line is I think that after my dad passes, she will find herself in a big hurt. The house will get sold and she will have to move. Maybe it is time for her to grow up and learn to stand on her own two feet for a change. She is setting a bad example for her kids. To learn the same kind of "the world owes me" kind of attitude that she has.

Random Thoughts

I'm sure you all think I forgot about my blog. Between Facebook and Twitter I end up neglecting the blog a bit more than I want. It seems that by time I get home to write about something, 42 other people have already blogged, facebooked and tweeted about the event.

I love the story about the four women who tied up the guys after they found out he was seeing all of them. Best part is that they glued his dick to his stomach. Bet he don't cheat on any future girlfriends/wives.

Spent the past weekend camping. I barely survived StB's smelly flatulence that woke me from a dead sleep in the camper. Mustard Fest was, as always, interesting. Not much to do other than sample the mustard custard (not as bad as you would think, but not very good either) from Culver's and try my hand at the ring toss around some mustard bottles (not a winner). I think everyone was more than happy to leave that and head to Lucky's for beer and root beer float shots. I like the schedule we have for camping for this summer. It is about every 3 weekends that we go. Perfect time for me to rejuvenate.

Thought it was funny, when I got my credit card bill in the mail today. It was for $.35. Yep, 35 whopping cents. I bought a song off of iTunes a few weeks ago and didn't have enough in my account so it goes to my card. If I miss the payment, I will have to pay the $1 finance charge. Isn't that almost like a 300% penalty for being late?? What a crock. At least I pay it online and not waste a stamp on it.

Speaking of stamps, when did the price go up? I mailed some bills out for my dad last week. Good thing I stuck my address label on it as they came back marked insufficient postage. I was still trying to use up my Christmas stamps. I can't remember the last thing I actually did mail that I didn't pay for the postage online and print a mailing label for.

Have a good rest of the week all.

~peace out~